Major Arms Trafficker Sold 36 Weapons In 8 Counties: Montco DA

NORRISTOWN, PA — Authorities in Montgomery County announced on Tuesday the arrest of another major arms trafficker who they said sold 36 firearms across eight counties over just a few short months.

Daniel Lucas, 21, of Philadelphia, faces numerous charges for the "straw" purchases, typically made by someone with a clean record and then illegally resold to someone who can't buy a firearm legally: convicted felons, domestic violence abusers, children, or the mentally ill.

Only one of the 36 weapons sold by Lucas has been recovered, the District Attorney's Office said.

The purchases were all made over a 77-day period, from July 7 through Sept. 28, according to authorities. The investigation began in Montgomery County back on Sept. 8 when officials said they noticed Lucas making an "alarming" number of purchases in a short period of time.

Police were tracking Lucas when he was arrested for an unrelated burglary at West Chester University on Oct. 21, according to a criminal complaint.

“Straw purchasers like Lucas need to be stopped, and we need to have stronger tracking and reporting mechanisms in place to be able to flag this type of behavior before we have 36 firearms on the street," Montgomery County District Attorney Kevin Steele said in announcing the arrests.

On several occasions, Lucas made purchases of multiple weapons at multiple gun shops on the same day, the Montgomery County District Attorney's Office said. He traveled throughout the region to make the buys: police said he drove 1,724 miles altogether, with some round trips of up to 200 miles.

All told, 13 purchases were made in Lancaster County, nine in Bucks, five in Chester, four in Montgomery, two in Delaware, one in Berks, one in Philadelphia, and one in Schuylkill, according to the DA's Office.

Bail was set at $1 million, which Lucas did not post. He was booked at Montgomery County Correctional Facility.

A preliminary hearing is set for Nov. 23.